Government mulls new income-support Covid-19 measure of up to €4bn

The Government looks set to unveil an unprecedented income-support scheme in the coming days in which it will pay 75% or 80% of the wages of the thousands of workers who have lost and will lose their jobs amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Government officials are looking at schemes in Denmark and Portugal and are weighing proposals from employers and trade unions for a new package of measures.